Precedent, however, did not deter Håkan Hardenberger, one of the two or three most eminent trumpeters in the world, from blowing a note or two this week on the streets of Manchester. It's presumed that the Swedish soloist is not short of a bob or two. But on Saturday night he performs with the BBC Philharmonic at Bridgewater Hall. The title of the new work? Busking.
It's a concerto written for him by the BBC Phil’s recently appointed Austrian composer/conductor HK "Nali" Gruber. If you want to hear it in the flesh, book online. The performance will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 at a later date. This week, passers-by in Manchester were granted an early preview.
Here are Hardenberger and Gruber, drumming up custom with the help of traditional busker's instrument, an accordion (played by Jim Molyneux). At a guess, they couldn't fit the entire BBC Phil on the pavement.
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Busking is a broad church. From the dipsomaniac tin-whistler to the music college prodigy to the factory-model Dylanologist, pavements and pedestrian tunnels echo and thrum to freelance musical output of every stripe. The genuinely world-class performer tends to pass the cap around a little less often.
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